


Family Matters

by gaiarheahera



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25641919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaiarheahera/pseuds/gaiarheahera
Summary: Rupert has unexpected visitors and untimely visitors in the same night. True and false assumptions are made.
Relationships: Cordelia Chase/Rupert Giles
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Family Matters

The three quick knocks at his door surprised Rupert. Cordelia never bothered knocking since their relationship had progressed. As for the others, he knew they were all busy elsewhere to be bothering him that evening. With the curious thought of who could be interrupting his otherwise unusually quiet evening, Rupert opened his front door. The cause of his disturbance shocked him.

On the other side of his door stood his mother, father and younger brother. 

Helena Giles was a woman in her early 70s, slight and beautiful in an English aristocratic sort of way.

Edmund Giles was a stern, dour man. At 80 he stood tall and proper, the stricted Watcher’s code of old drilled into him by his own mother.

Freddy was Rupert’s baby brother. At seven years his junior, he was undoubtedly the spoiled one. Where Rupert was reprimanded for rebelling and going against his “birthright” (as if it could be called that) as a watcher, Freddy was let off and allowed to run wild with no real repercussions. Of course, Freddy has never gone off the rails quite like Rupert had - yet another point in the younger brother’s favour.

“Rupert.” Came Edmund’s clipped greeting.

“Father.” Rupert replied coolly.

“Hello, darling.” Helena smiles primmly to her eldest child before embracing him. Outwardly, this exchange between a mother and her son would be seen as normal. Rupert knew, however, that it was not due to the fact that they had not seen each other in over a year, but merely due to what was expected. Everything about his relationship with his parents was what was expected - of him and of them. He knew he should feel something about this - sadness, anger perhaps - but in actuality he felt indifferent to the reality that would offend most others. That is what his upbringing had done. Instilled an indifference in him that spilled over into most every aspect of his life.

“Hello, mother.” He greeted in returns, begrudgingly inviting his relatives into the former sanctuary that was his home.

—

The Giles family sat awkwardly in his apartment, each with a cup of tea in hand, a plate of biscuits on the table before them and no intention to speak first. Even the ever talkative Freddy was unusually quiet, uneasily sipping his tea and eating a custard cream while shooting his brother glances to silently express his apologies for their unexpected visit.

The deafening silence was interrupted by the door bursting open and a goo covered brunette bustling in. She dropped a bag to the floor by the entrance and kicked off her thankfully and miraculously goo-free boots.

“I tell you, that’s the last time I go out demon hunting on the hellmouth after a vision.” She said, throwing her ruined jacket to the floor. Her shirt was soon pulled over her head and the clean back of it was used to wipe the remaining goo off her exposed skin. Her jeans quickly joined the pile, leaving her stood there in just her underwear.

“God, I so need to wash this grossness off me.” She muttered to herself before heading to his downstairs bathroom, completely oblivious to their guests.

Rupert, who’d stood upon her entrance, was left open mouthed as the door shut behind her. His parents looked reproachful about the scantily clad young woman who’d just blown her way through his apartment. Freddy sat there grinning, giving his brother a thumbs up of pride-filled appreciation about his suspected lover.

—

Leaving his relatives to their own devices, Rupert ascended the stairs to retrieve some fresh towels from the closet as well as clean underwear, a white tank top and a pair black leggings from his Cordelia drawer (of which there were now three) in his dresser, and a shirt of his for her to wear after her shower.

His mother looked quizzically at him as he descended the stairs with the items, but he ignored it.

He knocked lightly on the bathroom door before entering. His timing was perfect apparently as Cordelia reached out an arm for a towel as soon as the door shut behind him.

“Thanks.” Cordy said, towel secured over her bust as she rang out her hair over the bathtub before wrapping the other proffered towel around her dripping hair.

“My parents and brother are here.” Rupert offered in way of conversation.

Cordelia’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him, still damp from her shower but thankfully demon goo free.

“They decided a surprise visit was in order. I’ve only been living here for three years and fired from the Watcher’s Council for one but apparently now’s the time.” Giles vented, muttering bloody-something-or-other to himself. “Anyway, here are some clothes. I’ll leave you to get dressed.”

Cordelia couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the situation after he’d left. She’d undressed in front of his family, not even noticing they were there. Perfect.   
  


Her bad evening had just gotten a different sort of bad.   
  



End file.
